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But who are we in essence, independent of our thoughts, feelings, sensations and ideas? What shapes our consciousness, and what determines how we experience this consciousness? Is consciousness a primary property of the universe, which has always had a nonlocal (everywhere) presence, or is consciousness the product or consequence of something else?

One thing that many of us are never prepared for is the uninvited winter blues, a cold or the almighty flu! So what can we do to avoid that? Is there anything that truly works to build natural resistance during what many refer to as “Flu Season?” It seems like everywhere I turn these days I see advertising for Flu Shots at every market and drug store, and pills for this and pills for that. It is all very disheartening and feels a bit overwhelming. I myself have never been someone who willfully accepts whatever I am told and have challenged my own battles with criticism and questioning.

Not many of us relish the idea of “working” on our relationships. However, most of us do recognize that once romantic love has faded into the sunset, something more is indeed required from us. Bob Kamm, our Imago colleague, suggests “devotion” might be a more helpful term for the conscious attention we willingly devote to the most important relationships in our lives.

Ten years ago, I started having flare ups where I was unable to walk or work because of joint inflammation and severe chronic fatigue. I have had debilitating panic attacks, anxiety, and depression on top of painful gut issues and tortuous, chronic insomnia. My food sensitivities got to the point to where I had only have thirty safe foods. I saw over fifty doctors and healing practitioners in the span of twenty and tried hundreds of approaches. A few of these helped, and many made me much worse. At one point, the top holistic doctor in this area told me he reached the end of what he knew to do. As you can imagine, I felt very alone.

The Enneagram of Personality teaches three centers of intelligence, the body, mind, and heart. This is a simplification of the original Enneagram as taught by G.I. Gurdjieff. Gurdjieff originally taught the Enneagram as a system of transformation through awakening and integrating the seven centers of intelligence and their functions: instinctual, moving, sexual, emotional, intellectual, higher emotional, and higher intellectual.

As someone who has worked in the unconventional health and wellness profession for the last 20 years, I am continually motivated to read and seek out natural remedies and holistic solutions for many of today’s common ailments that face mankind these days. Much of what I am presented with by clients is complaints centered around depression, pain, fatigue, inflammation and metabolic challenges such as obesity or exercise-resistant body fat accumulation.

Dr. Deborah Ooten and Beth O'Hara on "Levels of Consciousness & The Enneagram" interview for the 2017 Enneagram Global Summit with the Shift Network.
This interview is part of the Enneagram Global Summit a free online event that helps you discover a powerful personality typing system for understanding yourself, your soul gifts and your relationships. For more information, please visit http://enneagramglobalsummit.com. This recording is a copyright of The Shift Network. All rights reserved.

In our experience with the Narrative Tradition of the Enneagram we come across the myriad ways to not only share our stories, but to ground those stories in a process of direct experience brought about by various techniques and approaches.

What if you had a roadmap — a “soul-map” — for understanding who you are and what makes the people around you tick? A time-tested system that integrates your whole being and can be applied to every area of your life?
And what if this map could help you tap into your essential nature, resulting in truly authentic relationships and a deep sense of living “on purpose?”

Nutrient dense foods are those foods that are as chock full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants as possible. Choosing nutrient dense foods will not only help you fill your plate with nutritious calories, but will also leave less room for processed foods like white flour and white sugar that have been linked to increased inflammation and cancer risks.

In families, conflict is almost a given, whether it be between husband and wife, parent and child, siblings or extended family members. Finding middle ground through mediation and coaching is perhaps the most important gift we give ourselves and those around us in the settlement of any dispute.

People haphazardly spend money trying to find a solution to their fitness or health problems, only to realize that they can’t buy results without doing the work. Money will only afford you method, but it will not buy you the motivation to train or to do the work necessary to get you to your goal.

As we experience this time of transition, several ideas stand out in my mind that might have some insight into how we proceed going forward. I would like to share them with you so that we might continue to draw upon each other in meaningful and fulfilling ways in order not to separate, but rather to be open to all that arises. Humanity is in a transitional place. If we look around us, we can see the many areas of our lives that offer us reference points for change. Yet many/most of us do not know how to influence that change.

We have entered a new era of healthcare with personal genetic data now easily and inexpensively accessible. (Currently, 23andme.com provides a home test kit for $99 and provides more genetic data than any other labs through their raw data report.)

On March 8, the Conscious Living Center will host a Community Conversation to help the AMOS Project determine their agenda and priorities for the upcoming year. The AMOS project brings together congregations, clergy, people of faith, and others to work for racial and economic justice.

If you’re no stranger to the OiL JUNKiE Lifestyle, you’ve probably already read a recommendation or two about using essential oil diffusers to improve your health, increase your energy, or to help you sleep better. The fact is, these handy little devices are great for all of those things and more. While the list of possible uses for a diffuser is quite extensive, we’ve narrowed it down to (what we consider to be) the top 10 reasons to own an essential oil diffuser and use it every day.

In committed long-term relationships there are often two realities occurring simultaneously: in one, there exists negativity between partners and this negativity contains irritations, disappointments, hurt feelings, etc.; in the other, there exists love, care and positive regard between partners, and things that are said/done for each other that are kind and thoughtful.

Dr. Deborah Ooten is pleased to announce that she and Soonmee Kim have established an exclusive relationship that formally establishes The School of Conscious Living Korea! Congratulations to all as the mission to spread consciousness goes global.

I have personally dealt with chronic health issues for more than twenty-five years have made significant progress in healing. Many people ask me about what has made the biggest difference. More important than any specific treatments have been my outlook and perception about my health. In this article, I highlight some of the foundational factors to healing which have made significant differences in my own healing and for those who I have coached in my holistic health coaching practice.

In February, we will begin a new, five-part series at CLC that invites you to be held, to relax and to unfurl. You might think of it as water to what worldly existence leaves parched. This is a place where you are welcome to release, heal and express whatever flows through you. As part of registration, please share your Enneagram type if you know it, so we can best support you.

I began using doTERRA essential oils a few months ago and am continually amazed at the number of applications that they have. Every day I encounter another use for these amazing oils all the while supporting natural health and balancing my body.
Essential Oils have been used for many thousands of years in various cultures for medicinal and health purposes. Essential oil uses range from aromatherapy, household cleaning products, personal beauty care and natural medicine treatments. Therapeutic Food Grade Oils are the only oils that should be used internally and must be recognized as a nutritional supplement.

In the early 1990’s I was a participant at a body work seminar on the Trager Approach. At dinner one evening there was mention of a type of psychological profiling called the Enneagram. The young woman who mentioned it didn’t give too many details. I recall she compared it to the Myers-Briggs personality profile with which I had a cursory knowledge.

Change and the pain it can bring are both a given in life. When we resist what is causing pain, our suffering increases. To decrease suffering from pain, we must surrender to the pain and to the changes around us. In surrendering to our pain, we can then transform suffering into empowerment and make conscious choices about how to respond to change, loss, grief, and pain.

"Of course the list goes on as the reader is free to pose the question as befits their experience,but if we can from time to time catch the thief of our life force at the door of experience as a recurrent practice,we can reclaim true living."

1. Couples who workout are physically congruent.
Okay, we have all seen it, extreme versions every day of couples that just don't fit.
No one says couples have to look alike to succeed in love, but physicality is sometimes a whole other category.

Letting go is difficult. Whether we are talking about a season, an old habit or even a relationship, letting go is hard to do. Yet there comes a time in our lives when we know that something must be released for us to continue on the journey to wholeness.

Part of living consciously is eating healthfully. Food is energy for our bodies and also fuel for consciousness. The quality of our food directly impacts the quality of our consciousness. Have you ever eaten something really bad for you like greasy fast food or lots of processed sugar and then felt awful afterwards? What happened with your thoughts and feelings? Many people will take a dive mentally and emotionally after eating processed foods.

In our household, back- to- school activities have already reduced the fun and relaxed time we spend together in the summer. “Do it now” is popping up where “we’ll do it tomorrow” used to reside. There are now tighter schedules, anxiety about completing work tasks, difficulty getting enough rest each night, wondering if there’s enough food in the fridge for tomorrow’s lunches. Summer left too soon, and so is the sweet, slow time I had with my beloved.

If you were to look up the definition of "motivation," it'll tell you that it "is a psychological feature that induces an organism to act towards a desired goal and elicits, controls, and sustains certain goal-directed behaviors."
In other words, motivation is something that causes you to take action. We might also say that lack of action is the result of insufficient motivation.

If we want to stop doing the things that keep us limited and suffering, we have to develop practices that support us in conscious shifting of our lives. Our practices not only support our own evolution but evolution overall. The more we loosen our individual constrictions, the more we are able to support and uplift everyone we come into contact with. Practice is a positive feedback loop.

Enneagram Certification Program
with Dr. Deborah Ooten and Beth O’Hara
Onsite in SEOUL, KOREA
EE II: August 9-15, 2016
Detailed Program Description
1,390,000 KRW per session for early registration*
1,550,000 KRW after 31/12/12*
*Includes Enneagram textbook and Enneagram PPTs for personal use.
Please Contact Choi Jin-tae with registration form to arrange payment
”I know when I’m being gripped with fear or insecurity and rather than identifying with that feeling, with those thoughts, with the paranoia, I can stop and say, this isn’t me. This is a reaction. This tool makes such a difference in your experience of living that I wouldn’t let anybody miss it.” -Marissa, SLC graduate, Type 6

It is Friday afternoon. You are hungry, tired, and driving home in rush hour traffic. The driver in the lane next to you is talking on a cell phone and oblivious to the slow down ahead. The driver swerves, almost hitting you. Your adrenaline rises, breath becomes shallow, and shoulders are immediately tense. By the time you get home, you are on edge for two hours until your body calms down.

I have been working with the Enneagram as a tool for self-observation and transformation since 2005. I can remember reading “The Essential Enneagram” by David Daniels and contemplating what type I was. I saw aspects of myself in a number of the types and when talking with my girlfriend about this she suggested that I look more closely at Type One: The Judge, Perfectionist, Reformer. From her experience of me she was dead on in regard to my type. Eleven years later here are some observations about living in my skin particularly when I am in type.

Listen to Dr. Ooten's Interview for the Enneagram Global Summit below and don't miss the opportunity to listen in free this year as she talks about "Optimizing Communication Through Understanding Each Enneagram Type’s Perspectives."

Valentine’s Day in Cincinnati tends to be a cold day to celebrate love. Perhaps the winter chill gives us an opportunity to reflect on the warmth generated by giving and receiving love. There’s nothing cold about that.

In these changing times it is important to develop strategies for staying positive. Because we tend to want things in life to be certain, change can bring stress and unhappiness. If we keep our attention focused on the present moment we will be in the flow. Creating flow experiences in our life allows for a more present moment awareness that creates space and harmony for life to unfold without resistance.

The Virtues are essential qualities of the opened heart and as we allow them to arise in us they are a channel for self-transformation. The Virtues are the antidote to the Passions, root causes of suffering.

It can be said that in many ways that the world is becoming smaller. Almost no one can escape the occasional sense that not only are things "speeding up" but a deep sense of encroachment upon everything from privacy to cherished beliefs accompanies this acceleration, real or perceived. As this mosaic of differences bring many points of contact- cultural, linguistic, genderal, racial to name a few,especially where there has been little or no previous contact, it becomes apparent that our choices at that membrane of contact make all the difference. It is here that the Narrative approach to the Enneagram can perhaps serve as a powerful tool.

Our world desperately needs more conscious leaders and change agents. If your life has benefited from your consciousness work, and you would like to support and sponsor others in theirs, please consider donating to Consciousness In Action. We offer grants allowing individuals to attend Enneagram training programs worldwide, sponsor the Young Adult Travel Stipend to the International Enneagram Association Conference and Canadian Enneagram Conference, sponsor homeless women in attending spiritual retreats through the Center Within, and support children learning meditation through Word Play.

The trees in my backyard are waking up with touches of the early morning sun that are starting to reach their branches and leaves. I sit on my couch staring out the window at the beauty beyond of a brand new day being born with radiant light, blue skies, and soft greenery. A family of deer stopped by a little earlier to munch on green grasses and tasty leaves, seemingly content in their environment. It is a treat for me to share in their mystery. The bodily aches and pains I felt on rising are starting to subside in favor of serene views and hot sips of tea.

Dr. Deborah Ooten's interview for the 2015 Enneagram Global Summit with the Shift Network. Spiral Dynamics® describes and details core conceptualizations of belief systems and how people think, providing a powerful framework for how each of the nine types evolve as they shift between sacrificial ways of being and expressive ways of being. ur current Enneagram descriptions are written to describe the types at only two to three of these levels, and outside of those levels, the descriptions fall apart.

By Beth O'Hara
A recent event gave me pause – and scared me. As I was about to apply my dog’s monthly flea and tick medication, I noticed the black fur between her shoulder blades (where I always apply the medication) had the white residue this medication leaves. Had I already given it to her? When? I had no memory of this! I dug through a gloppy mess of chicken bones and other assorted unpleasantness in the trash can, only to find the empty tube that confirmed I had indeed given her the medication. Where was my attention, that I didn’t remember this act? What if I hadn’t noticed her fur and overdosed her by giving it to her a second time? I have a regular practice of being mindful throughout my day, so this was disappointing to say the least...

By Kathleen Hartman Blackburn
One of my habitual ways of thinking, feeling, and being, as I just described, was living my life, and I wasn’t present. Sadly, this is where most of us live most of the time. This is the definition of being asleep. Waking up in the moment and opening to what is happening right now, allows me to experience life as it is. I can choose to wake up at any time. Try it for yourself right now. Stop reading and notice where you are. Notice the nature of your thoughts and feelings. Sense your body. Connect with your breath. Spend just a few moments just checking in with yourself. Be present to who you are in this very moment.

By Neil Anderson
In our work with the Enneagram we often speak of being "in and down" as a prerequisite or as the resident state for doing the work. This groundedness is so central to what we do that we cannot hope to fully tap into the innate wisdom of our type, its Holy Idea, or for that matter the full field of gifts that the Enneagram has to offer without this grounded sense of reference. As a bodyworker/Massage Therapist this emphasis on "being grounded" carries a special significance for me, as it is the goal of my work, for if nothing else the teachings must be made concrete in the body as well as the mind and heart, and the Enneagram is not complete without the somatic component.

Now available for instant download or as a DVD. Join Dr. Deborah Ooten, founder of the School of Conscious Living, in a deep exploration of the nine Enneagram Types through hearing the panelists' stories of their innermost landscape. Dr. Ooten moderates these heart, mind, and body panels with sensitivity and compassion - allowing the types to courageously describe their thoughts, feelings, sensations and behaviors in ways that will educate you, inspire you, and touch your heart. Purchase on the Products Page.

Gurdjieff T-shirt
$25 + $5.60 shipping
100% of profits from the sales of these T-shirts go to support Consciousness In Action's travel stipends for young adults to the International Enneagram Conference. Thank you for your support and generosity!

We are very excited to be attending and presenting at the International Enneagram Conference again this year! Dr. Deborah Ooten and Beth O’Hara will be presenting at the IEA Conference regarding, “The Big Three: Sex, Power and Money.” Ron Esposito will be presenting on “Holy Ideas.” These issues and ideas exist in all aspects of our lives but are rarely communicated about directly. The presentations will explore questions like...

As many of you may know, I have been working for the last 3 years with a group called Conscious Dimensions®. Conscious Dimensions is comprised of a group of 9 individuals dedicated to furthering conscious self-awareness, through technology, entertainment and education...

Deborah Ooten and Beth O’Hara presented on the Enneagram, Spiral Dynamics and Generational Conflict at the 2012 International Enneagram Association Global Conference in Long Beach, California. Spiral Dynamics is a system that was developed by Clare Graves’ research on how people think about what they think about. His research revealed emerging levels of human conceptualization that become increasingly more complex and alternate between self-sacrificing and self-expressing.

by Danny Cross, CityBeat, January 11, 2012.
Back in 1999 Deborah Ooten found herself filling her gas tank at the Shell station in Clifton Heights when something spoke to her: The universe told her that she was going to start the Conscious Living Center...

How relaxed do you feel in this moment? Do you feel at ease in your body? What is your breath like right now? Check in with your scalp, your shoulders, neck, back, feet and toes…
Now try this: Take a deep inhale as you shrug up your shoulders and then exhale with a soft sigh as you relax your shoulders down. Repeat a few times. How do you feel now? Any different?

In our fast paced lives, it is easy to lose touch with the body. Can you actually feel your toes right now? The bottoms of your feet? If you can feel them, do they feel alive and infused with energy? Or do they feel dull and distant? It seems the quicker we move through life, the more we disconnect from the body. The more we disconnect from the body, the more the body aches in an appeal for connection.

Read the new article on the annual Conscious Living Center Consciousness Retreat. This experiential retreat is held each fall in the Smokey Mountains where anyone who wants to deepen their self-awareness can come together with us to put Enneagram knowledge and spiritual understanding into life practice. See the articles section!

World Enneagram Day Celebration at the Conscious Living Center - people celebrating consciousness by having fun, learning about the Enneagram, and talking about how the Enneagram has impacted their lives.

Check out the newest article to the Conscious Living Center website. "Level of Consciousness and the Enneagram" by Dr. Deborah Ooten and Beth O'Hara takes a new look at the Enneagram and how it's influenced by Spiral Dynamics®. This article was originally published in The Enneagram Journal in July, 2010.

In this funny and revealing interview, Dr. Deborah Ooten talks on Q102 Jeff and Jen show about Jen's obsession with the vampire movie Twilight and how it relates to Jen's Enneagram Personality as a Type 7.

This video was created by Deanna Martin and was used at the 2010 International Enneagram Conference in the presentation "The Evolution of the Enneagram Through Young Adults" given by Deanna Martin, Beth O'Hara, and John Luckovich. See the videos section to watch it.

The fourth annual fall retreat is quickly approaching and rooms are filling up rapidly. This is a retreat lead by Deborah Ooten that helps individuals take their consciousness practice to the next level.

CLC now has a Young Adults group supporting people in their 20's and 30's around their wellness needs and in their spiritual journey. An engaging group of younger adults attend events and walk the journey together.